Ice-cream freezer.



PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908.

T. L. VALERIUS. ICE CREAM FREEZER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 28, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE L. VALERIUS, OF FORT ATKINSON, WISCONSIN, A-SS G OR TO THE 'cREAM'E'RY PACKAGE MFG. COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A OO-RPORATIO OF ILLINOIS.

ICE-CREAM FREEZER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE L. VALE- RIUS, a citizen .of Fort Atkinson, county of Jefferson, and State of \Visconsin, have invented a certain new, useful, and Improved Ice-Cream Freezer, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaius to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the art of manufacturing ice cream and the like and has special reference to improvements in ice cream freezers.

The primary object of my invention is to provide means whereby a liquid such as ice cream custard, may be reduced to a semifrozen state for subsequent solidification in suitable storage vessels.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus whereby the process of freezing ice cream and the like may be carried on continuously.

Other and particular objects of the invention are, to reduce the cost of large ca acity ice cream freezers ;-to reduce the labor of operating ice cream freezers; to reduce the power required for the operation of the a paratus;to make it easier to maintain t e apparatus in sanitary condition ;and to insure a gain in the volume of the product of the apparatus;all in comparison with present day ice cream freezers.

My invention consists generally in an ice cream freezer comprising an annular liquid vessel mounted for rotation upon a vertical axis and open at the top, in combination with means for continuously chilling the inner wall of said annular vessel, a suitable,

referably stationary scraper arranged within said vessel for clearing said inner wall, means for rotating said vessel and means at the top of said yessel for receiving and discharging the semi-frozen liquid.

My invention also consists in a plural stage ice cream freezer comprising several devices of the above description arranged in tandem or in series, whereby the rocess of freezing begun in one is completed in another.

My invention also consists in various details of construction and in combinations of parts, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention will be more fully under-- stood by reference to the accompanyingv drawings forming a part 'of this specification and in which;

Figure 1 illustrates an ice cream freeaernr apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. -2, is an enlarged vertical section of one of the freezers; and Fig. 3, is a horizontal 'se'cti'on on the line X-X of Fig. 2.

I shall first describe a single element or freezer to the end that the operation of an individual device may be understood and will then explain the operation of the complete apparatus. I

Referring to Fig. 2, 2, represents a suitable base or frame and 3, a member framed with or supported b the part, 2. The art 2, contams a vertical shaft bearing, 3, aving a cavity, 4. The bearing contains the shaft 5, adapted to rotate freely therein. The shaft 5, is hollow, containing a passage or duct, 5, which communicates with the space, i

4. 6, is a liquid supply pipe having two branches, 6' and 6", both valved. The free ing fluid from the pipe, 6, enters the space, 4, and thence passes upward through the duct, 5. At the upper end of the shaft, 5, is a disk or circular portion, 7, preferably interal with the shaft, 5. The topof the disk as an annular rib, 7, for a hereinafter explained purpose. The periphery of the disk is a cone, 7. the bottom of the disk. The disk is rotated by a suitably driven pinion, 9, meshing with the internal gear, 8. A pipe, 10, that rises through the bearing, 3, and throu' h the shaft, 5, serves as the return pi 'ew ereby the liquid which passes through t e shaft 5 returns to a tank. The pi e, 10, is secured tightly in the lower end 0 bearing, 3, and the joint between the shaft, 5, and the bearing, 3, is closed by stuffing box, 3. ,Leakage of liquid from the hollow bearing is therefore prevented. The annular cream vessel before alluded to com rises the outer wall, 11, and the inner wal 12. formed b the disk, 7. The outer Wall of the vesse is preferably a plain sheet metal cylinder, flan ed outwardly at the to (see flange 11) and at the bottom having a aring or conical end, 11", which fits upon the cone surface of the disk, 7. The fastening 11" between the disk and the cylinder, 11,-may be of any suitable desi 11. By means thereof the cylinder is detac ably secured on the disk, hence the cylinder may be removed 8, is a gear formed in or upon Its bottom is when necessary to clean the machine, and it will be noted that the removal of the cylinder, 11, completely exposes the inner wall of the freezer thereby facilitating the cleaning of that wall. I apply the freezing fluid to the inner wall of my freezer. As the height or stand of cream which may be advantageously maintained in an ice cream freezer is limited, too great a height imposing objectionable compression. upon the semifrozen cream, and as the capacity and efficiency of the freezer depend upon the area of the chilled or chilling wall, I give my ma-' chine the requisite capacity by making the cream vessel large in diameter and by corrugating the inner wall of the vessel. This accounts for the peculiar form of the inner wall shown in the drawings. The corrugations are deep and are circumferential. UIt is obvious that a spiral corrugation could be employed/but such would be objectionable as it would be diflicult to scrape a spirally grooved wall. I

Further referring to Fig; 2, it will be seen that the inner wall, 12, has the form of a plurality of hollow disks placed one upon the other. The. bottom of the lower disk or circular chamber is formed by the carrying -disk,'7, and as shown, the whole inner wall is centered by the rib, 7, on said disk, 7. The hubs, 12, of the hollow disks areof considerably greater diameter than the central return pipe, 10, and the freezing fluid which rises through the shaft, 5, completely fills the space within the inner wall, 12. The top 12, of the upper disk closes the top of the fluid chamber and the freezing fluid overflows from the upper disk into the return pipe, 10. I prefer toemploy a brine tank and pump, as indicated in Fig. 1, and the brine, being constantly circulated, maintains a low temperature throughout the inner wall, 12. It will be understood that the disk, 7, the cylinder, 11, and the corrugated inner wall, 12, all rotate together. To somewhat relieve th shaft, 5, and bearing, 3, I provide a spring or removable centerpoint, .13, in the upper frame, 3, seating the point in a journal, 13, on the top of the upper hollow disk. Supported on the frame and surrounding the upper end of the freezer can or vessel is. an annular cream receiving chamber or cup, '14, having an inclined bottom, 14, and at ts lowermost point provided with a discharge chute or spout, 14".

The inner edge, 14', is beneath. the top flange 11 of the vessel. The semi-frozen liquid therefore discharges across the top of the flange, 11, into the receiver, 14. The scraper of my machine, which also operates as an agitator, comprises the vertical pipe, 15, and a. plurality of fingers, 15, extending into .the corrugations of the can.- The fingers have the form of light frames and are slightly smaller than the corrugations that scrape upon the metal wall, 12. The fingers being held stationary serve to scrape the frozen material from the rotating walls of the can, but, as they contain large openings, do not constitute a complete barrier to the The pipe or stem of the scraper the bearing freezer can. is removable from the frame, 3, therefore in said frame beingof such form that the pipe may be drawn out after it is partially rotated to remove the fingers from the corrugation of the can, as shown in Fig. 3. In practice an air tube is connected. to the valved upper end of the hollow scraperstem and a small quantity of air is blown from the lower end of the pipe into the lower part of the body of cream or custard in the can. The supply of liquid to be frozen enters the freezer can throu h a pipe or spout, 16, arranged to deliver t e cream upon the top of the upper hollow disk, or if desired, to the lower part of the can. It is obvious that the custard may enter the can through the stem of the scraper if desired.

in itself and the inflow of liquid being so restricted as to cause the slow rise and discharge of cream at the top of the can, may be used to produce ice cream ready for packing in refrigerating cans or molds. I prefer, however, to increase the capacity of my apparatus by increasing the supply or flow of custard and by dividing the work to be done between two or more such, freezers. As shown in Fig. 1, I arrange the freezing cans in series or tandem, arranging them one above the other. The fact that the freezer can discharges the partially frozen cream from its open top permits this to be done. The freezers are .arranged upon a step like frame and the cream descends from one can to the next until finally discharged in the desired state or condition at the spout of the lowermost freezer. As shown in Fig. 1,' the arrangement is such that all of the cans .are driven from a single power shaft, 17. All of the return pipes, 10 lead to the brine tank, and all of the cooled brine pipes are jpined to the pump. As before stated each second, connected with a steam boiler, it being desirable that a supply of steam should beat hand to increase the temperature of the inner wall of the freezer in case the cream cakes thereon and also for the purpose of sterilizing the can after it has been washed.

The operation of the apparatus is as folother refrigerating agent being provided, the brine valve of the freezers are opened and the pump is started. The inner chambers of the freezers quickly fill with brine and thereafter The freezer thus far described is complete contain them, so that the fingers do not rotation of the body of liquid within the supply pipe, 6, has two connections; the first connected with the brine' pump, the.

lows: A sufficient quantity of cold brine or I the circulation is maintained in all the cans. The cans are then started, into rotation and the dashers or scrapers being in position a supply of custard is admitted to the uppermost freezer, A. Falling to the bottom of the annular space within the freezer can, the custard slowly rises therein and being deprived of its heat, is slowly congealed. Contact with the rotating surfaces of the can and with the scraper or dasher prevents separation of the ingredients of the cus- .tard. Likewise the air which is admitted at v the bottom of the can tends to lighten the cream and increase its volume. The freezing of the llquld causes it to expand and, becoming lighter, it floats to -the top, where, the

supply of fresh custard continuing; it finally rises to the top of the can and is by centrifugal force and gravity discharged into the receiver 14. The rotation of the freezer can need not be rapid and the force with which the cream is discharged from the top of the can is little more than enough to cause the semi-frozen liquid to fall into the receiver. The deflation of the cream is thus avoided. The partially frozen liquid passes through the second stage of freezing in the intermediate freezer, B, and the performance of the rocess is completed in the lower freezer, C,

om which the frozen product is discharged into refrigerating cans or molds, whereinthe cream is subsequently further cooled and solidified.

My invention is not restricted to the use of a plurality of freezers in the manner indicated in Fig. 1; but, given freezers of certain dimensions the capacity, of the apparatus depends on the number of freezers employed in the series.

As it is obvious that numerous modifications of'my invention will readily suggest themselves to one skilled in the art, I do not confine my invention to the specific construcsel mounted for rotation upon a vertical axis and open at the top for the discharge of frozen cream. therefrom, in combination with a dasher within said vessel, substantially as described. Y

3. In an'ice cream freezer, an internally cooled and externally exposed vessel contain.-

' ing an annular space open at the top to rece ve and contain the liquid to be frozen mounted for rotation upon a vertical axis, in combination with a stationary dasher within said annular space, and means at the top of the vessel to receive frozen cream therefrom substantially as described.

4. In an ice cream freezer, an internally cooled annular or ring-like vessel mounted for cooled annular vessel, mounted for rotation upon a vertical axis and open at the top for the discharge of frozen cream therefrom, 1n combination with a dasher within said vessel, substantially as described.

7. In an ice cream freezer, an externally exposed and internally cooled annular vessel, mounted'for rotation upon a vertical axis and open at the top for the discharge of frozen cream therefrom, in combination with a stationary dasher within said vessel, substantially as described.

8. In an ice cream freezer, an externally exposed and internally cooled annular vesse mounted for rotation upon a vertical axis and having a flange or rim at the top, 1n combination with means at said top for receiving the semi-frozen liquid from sald flange, substantially as described.

9. A plurality of internally cooled freezer cans, in combination with means for rotating the same, ,the tops of said cans being open tion upon a vertical axis, dashers in said can,

means for continuously supplying liquid to be frozen to one of said cans, and means for transferring the semi-frozen liquid from said can to the next can, whereby the freezing process is made continuous, substantially as described.

11. In an ice cream freezer, an internally cooled annular can mounted for rotation upon a vertical axis, in combination with means for rotating said can, means at the top of said can for transferring seml-frozen llqllld therefrom to another receptacle, a dasher arran ed'in said can and ada ted to'scrape the coo ed walls thereof, and t e mner and outward walls of said can being separable, substantially as described.

12. In an ice cream freezer, a rotary bottom, in combination with a cylinder detachably secured theretofla corrugated 1nner wall rising from said bottom, means for 01mmlating cooling fluid within said inner wall and means at the top of said cylinder for the discharge of semi-frozen liquid, substantially as described.

13. In an ice cream freezer, a rotary bottom, in combination with a cylinder detachcombination with means. for rotating said dasher within said annular space and means from said bottom and composed of a can, means at the top ofthe can to receive semi-frozen liquid from the rim thereof, a

also therein for injecting air near the bottom of said can, substantially as described.

15. In. an ice cream freezer, a rotary bottom, in combination with a cylindrical wall rising therefrom, an inner wall orbody risilng urality of internally connected hollow di ks, means for supplying liquid thereto and a return pipe therein, substantially as described.

16. In an ice cream freezer, a-rotary bottom, in combination .with a cylindrical wall rising therefrom, an inner wall or body rising from said bottom and composed of a plurality of internally connected hollow disks, means for supplying liquid thereto, a return pipe therein, and a stationary dasher, substantially as described.

17. In an ice cream freezer, a freezer 'can or vessel, com rising a bottom, in comb1na tion with -a cylindrical outer wall having an outwardly flared top or rim and an inner wall com osed of a plurality of internally connecte hollow di's's, closed at the top,

to contain freezing fluid, substantially as de-' I scribed. r

18 'In' an ice cream freezer, a freezer can or vessel, comprising a bottom and an outer cylinder which is open at the top and an inner wall com osed of a lurality of internally connecte hollow.disi& s to contain freezing fluid, in combination with a dasher conforming to said inner wall, means for circulatin freezing fluid Within said' inner wall, and means for imparting relative rotation to said can and dasher.

19. In an ice cream freezer, an annular internally cooled freezer can having an out- Wardly flared top or rim, mounted for rotation upon,a vertical axis, in combination with means for rotating said can, means for feedingcustard to said can; other means for injecting air near the bottom of said can, a dasher within said can and meansat the top of the can beneath said rim to receive semi-frozen liquid therefrom, substantially as described. i

20. In an ice cream freezer, an annular internally cooled freezer can'mounted for rotation upon a vertical axis, in combination Y with means for rotating said can, a custard feed-pipe or duct, a dasher, means integral with said dasherfor injecting air near the bottom of said can, and means at the top of the can to receive semi-frozen liquid therefrom, substantially as described.

21. In an ice cream freezer, a rotary bottom, in combination with a cylinder secured thereto, an innenwall rising from said bottom and closed atthe top, means for circulating a. cooling fluid within said inner .wall, a drain therefor, extending from a point near the top of said wall, and extendlng through said bottom, means for feeding custardto said cylinder and means at the top of said cylinder for the discharge of seml-frozen liquid, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set myhand, this 25th day of July, 1906, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THEODORE L. VALER-IUS.

Witnesses:

IRVING R. HIPPENMEYER, SANFORD P. STARKS 

